Efficient removal of contaminants like oil and toxic dyes from water sources is an issue of global importance. Oil spills can be devastating to both the environment and the economy because cleanup is costly and damage to the ecosystem is sometimes irreparable.

NYU Abu Dhabi rising senior Selbi Nuryyeva (Class of 2015), from Turkmenistan, is a busy undergraduate with a packed schedule. For two years, she has spent summers and semesters as a research assistant intern in both Abu Dhabi and New York, and has published two papers and presented her work at international conferences.

A defining feature of NYU Abu Dhabi Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ali Trabolsi's office is the large whiteboard that looms on the wall. Decked in hexagons, subscripts, curt lines, and symbols, he uses this simple technology to illustrate the makeup of the complex chemical structures he and his team study at the University's Center for Science and Engineering.